New Members, New Friends, New Perspectives
by m00nshoes potter
Summary: A young, new musician is welcomed to New Directions. Initial hostility for the freshman turn to bonds of friendship that changes everyone in Glee Club.
1. Chapter 1

**glee is my new obsession.. **

* * *

Mr. Schuester rubbed his forehead for a long time. He clenched his eyes shut, and breathed as evenly as he possibly could. He didn't know quite how long he stayed in that position for. Maybe several of the teaching staff had passed by and silently debated asking what was wrong, but chose to continue going home.

That was the problem. William Schuester wasn't sure where home was anymore. It definitely was not in his empty and lonely apartment. He would have said the choir room, surrounded by the laughter and voices of his glee kids, but lately, that wasn't a place that was necessarily a happy atmosphere.

All of the kids were going through things he didn't even want to begin to dig through. They were lashing out and giving up, to whatever was tearing them each individually apart. Some of them were easy to see, like Quinn writing the list or Kurt singing to Finn. But then others like Puck and Rachel and Artie, all seemed to have this underlying pain in their eyes, that for the life of him, Will couldn't figure out. He was fighting so hard for something that seemed to just be ruining every aspect of his life.

They were sad, and he could see it. That, more so then Emma breaking up with him or Sue, was by far the hardest part. He tried as hard as he possibly could to lift their spirits, but he could feel them crumbling under the weight of high school rules and stereotypes.

His face remained in his hands, until he would forget about everything and finally feel at ease, however he knew the overwhelming thoughts would never stop. Eventually, he gave up and wrenched his eyes open with a long, frustrated sigh.

His now tired and foggy eyes blinked several times, readjusting to the light. He sensed someone at the door and he quickly straightened up and shifted his gaze to the open door.

A slight shock went through him as he noticed a tall, yet slender girl standing hesitantly at the door. She seemed just as nervous when they finally met eyes. Mr. Schue could clearly tell she was a student, and a younger one at that, so he immediately stood up and formed that fake, welcoming smile on his face.

"May I help you?" he asked gently, squinting his eyes just the slightest in confusion.

The young teenager took a tiny step into the choir room, ducking her eyes to the floor. She shakily tucked her hair behind one ear, and spoke in a barely audible whisper.

" Hi, Mr. Schuester, my name's Haley Moyen," she said with a tiny head nod in his direction. She cleared her throat and said in a level louder, "I heard about the Glee club and I was just wondering if there was anyway, I could..." she paused and her cheeks flushed red as she struggled for words, " If I could join?"

Mr. Schue was taken aback at the very sudden and random request. He didn't respond for a while as he attempted to understand this girl who he had quite literally never knew existed until now. He just stood there silently, his mouth hanging open, until he saw Haley's eyes awkwardly move to the floor and watch her take a baby step back wards.

He quickly came back to his senses, and gestured his hand out, in a motion for her to stay. Without even thinking about it, he rubbed his palm over his face again and through his hair. Opening his hands out in something like guilt and apology and confusion, he said, " Well, uhm, how old are you Haley?"

She looked up at him with wide eyes like she had been caught with a crime. "I'm a freshman, so fourteen," Haley said, getting quieter as she spoke.

Will smiled sympathetically, and as he told her, something about her face, made him feel truly sorry. "I'm very sorry Haley, you seem like a lovely girl, but New Directions was really only opened for juniors and seniors. Maybe in a couple years..." He took a step closer to her, and searched for something else to say, but nothing seemed to suffice for such a strange situation.

Haley quickly squeezed her eyes shut, and opened them very fast, as if she had gotten the blow she had been expecting.

"I.. I know, and I'm really sorry for just asking like this. It's just, I really, really need to join an after school activity, and I swear I would be super committed. I can get recommendations and report cards, if you need to see," she said in a rush, clearly pulling out everything she could think of. The desperation and longing in her voice was evident, but then the next words to come from her mouth were as though to say them was to swallow a vial of poison; " I really want, to be part... of New Directions."

Her eyes dropped to the floor, a long lock of brown hair falling down to cover her violently red cheeks. Mr. Schuester again failed to think of a proper response. Something about this girl made it seem as though she very much desired – needed, more so - to join Glee. While, at the same time, she was dreading just asking.

"Haley, in the politest way possible, I didn't even know who you were until now. Why do you wish to join Glee so much? If it's for music, there are plenty of other musical programs you can take part in, but something tells me... this is a bit more than music." Mr. Schuester said softly, looking into her eyes searchingly.

Haley raised a slender hand to her hair and gently strung it behind her ear. She shakily crossed her thin arms across her chest, and released a long, nervous breath.

"My dad works a couple jobs, and one of them is right when school gets out," she began hesitantly. Will didn't understand what this had to do with anything, and he cocked his head to the left in confusion.

"We live really far from the school, and technically, my school isn't supposed to be McKinely. I live near Jane Adams and Saunders Secondary," she said with a sigh. Mr. Schue could feel his face lighten with understanding. Saunders was easily the roughest public school in the town. Exceptionally rough, even for Lima, Ohio.

"My dad and my elementary teachers spoke to Mr. Figgins and I guess because my grades are really good, I got special permission to come here instead. Except, I have no bus. So my dad has to give me rides, but, uhm .. he can't. Not 'till fourth thirty, anyway. He really wants me to get involved in something that's free, and can 'keep me out of trouble'," Haley paused, seeming partly relieved to have the story off her chest, but at the same time even more scared of what was next.

"My dad's only thirty. I haven't seen my mom in a couple years," she said heavily, and he could tell her story was done.

Will's mind reeled, quickly doing the mental math. Thirty subtract fourteen was sixteen. His mind quickly flashed to Quinn and Puck. Working three jobs, living in the worst part of town. Haley's father was obviously the single parent of a teenage pregnancy.

It felt weird viewing it from this angle. After everything he had gone through with Quinn and Puck, and all that stuff on MTV now a days, with teenage pregnancies, you always managed to think about the sixteen year old who was pregnant. Thinking about the baby, who would one day be in high school, seemed surreal.

Mr. Schue realized his mouth was once again gapping open. He looked at the tall, slim girl standing in front of him. She had long, slightly wavy brown hair. It was shiny and thick, but nothing more. Her skin was a milky white, and her eyes were a "somewhere- between- blue and green". At first glance, she was pretty but not gorgeous. She wore a pair of nice jeans with a casual off the shoulder top. Everything about her was average. Nothing special. But at the same time everything about Haley Moyen intrigued you. It made you want to look at her until you would find nothing average about her, until everything you saw was perfection.

Even the way she stood was average. Her petite shoulders slouched just the tiniest, and her long fingers fiddled awkwardly. Her long, dark lashes remained glued to the floor, and her face was an unconfident grimace. Definitely not the look of a soloist.

However, amongst this shyness, something about her made it seem simply humble. Like there was something beneath the guard, that she was simply too kind to brag about. William could already feel himself melting for this awkwardly charasmatic girl, with a story that would probably make Oprah tear.

He sighed, defeated. "Okay, we can always make exceptions. But as much as I don't want to do this, you do technically have to sing to get in," he said looking sadly into her terrified face. "Just one quick song, to make sure you have a little bit of potential... which I'm sure you do," he said, begging that she wasn't completely awful.

Haley nodded numerous times, mostly to motivate herself, he thought. He sat down in the nearest choir chair, clenching his fists tight and rigid. She tenatively walked over to the piano. This surprised him. She ran her fingers over the keys, many times, as if trying to get a feel for them. With one long, shaky and fearful breath, she locked eyes with him.

She was waiting, for something, he wasn't too sure. An awkward silence filled the room, as neither person was sure how to react, or what to do next. Hoping to calm her down, and ease the tension, he asked her, "What song will you sing?"

Another building- up - breath, " Forever and Almost Always, by Kate Voegele."

He nodded appreciatively, though he barely knew who Kate Voegele was. Two things he subconciously noted however, was whoever Kate Voegele was, she was definitely not a pop artist, radio sensation. So, Haley must have some form of unique taste in music. Secondly, she had not planned on giving the name of the song to him. It was a refreshing break from the glee club kids, who insisted on being noticed in every possible way, craving for attention, even if just with the title of the song.

"Whenever you're ready," he said, motioning forward with his hands, doing his best to look welcoming and pleasant.

Her hands drifted over the white keys once more, before settling on the middle, and floating for a moments time. In one quick movement, the rich and clear piano sounds filled the choir room.

It was soft and gentle, yet defined and bold at the same time. Subtly beautiful. The perfect description of Haley Moyen.

And then, her voice filled the room, and tangled into the piano melody with grace.

Her voice was something completely different. Not the tone, or the skill of it. Just the overall humbleness. All the glee kids tried so hard to be the best. Sang the loudest, hit the highest notes, did the most refs.

Haley's voice was sweet and clear, with the slightest rasp to it. She jumped from note to note with ease, not too edgy, but with a good amount of substance. Her softness was stunning. The innocence of it made you want to cry and smile at the same time. However, during the chorus and more dramatic points, as her volume increased, the power of her gentle voice was astonishing. It was not weak, but never felt forced. He immediately thought of honey or cutting cream; rich, but easy.

Once he had gotten used to the overall shock of her voice, he began to actually _look_ at Haley. She held her eyes shut for much of the song, and when they were open they glanced off into the distance, seeming to look into a memory. Her hands moved gracefully over the keys, mesmorizingly. But her passion, was the strongest. Something about every word and every note, was ten times better because of the meaning behind it. William found himself thinking about the actual song lyrics, more than he ever had.

_ "In the corner of my mind, I know too well, Oh that surely even I, deserve the best ..._

_ But instead of leaving, I just put the issue to bed, And out of my head, Oh and just when I believe, you've changed for good. Well you go and prove me wrong just like I knew you would ... When I've run out of second chances, you give me that look, And you're off the hook,_

_ Because you'll be mine Forever and Almost Always, And I'll be fine, just love me when you can... _

_ And I'll wait patiently, I'll wake up everyday _

_ Just hoping that, you still care..."_

Without thinking about it, the words forced his thoughts to drift to a place he really didn't want to be. He began thinking about Terri, and realizing how well the song fit his relationship with her. For a fraction of a second, he began to feel angry and annoyed with Haley for making him feel like this. As he listened more and more to the song, he slowly came to the realization of how wonderful Haley was as a musician for making him feel like that.

That was music. Music brought out the happiest, saddest, best and worst memories, but most importantly, they helped you understand and deal with those memories. That's what a good song, a good artist did. And that is what Haley was doing.

With a new sense of understanding, he looked back to Haley, really trying to _see _her. She had the same pain in her eyes, but also the same acceptance in the way she sang. She was much more relaxed while she sang than she had been sharing her story with him.

Too fast, the song's final notes were recognized, and her soft voice fell the silence.

She paused and looked down at the keys. Her eyes were wide, and she was flushed, but not with embarassment now. Slowly and cautiously, she turned to Will. He looked at her in new light.

Now he saw what he was fighting for. He was fighting for kids like Haley. Kids who struggled walking down the halls or finding their place to belong, but felt at home on stage. Those kids like Haley, who despite everything, were not eaten completely by the hardships they faced, but who remained alive and bright on stage. The kids who still had that tiny glimmer of hope in their eyes because of music.

A smile erupted across his recently weary features.

"Practice is tomorrow, after school," he told her contently, feeling like he had given but received the best present of all.

For the first time since Mr. Schuester had laid eyes on Haley Moyen, her full, rose lips burst into a genuine smile. A smile of accomplishment, and even happiness. And with her smile, you saw one of the many things that was intriguing about her. Because underneath the hesitance and utter averageness of Haley, there was a million things that were so special.

As she turned to the door, and began walking out, William Schuester became determined that he would uncover to the world, at least one of those many special things.

Before she was completely gone, Mr. Schue called out, without thinking, "Haley, who were you thinking about when you sang that?"

She turned slowly, and carefully, deciding whether to lie or be honest. She locked eyes with him, and said softly, "My mom."

He nodded in understanding, simply saying, "My wife, well ex-wife."

She smiled at him sadly, but with a complete sense of acceptance. "Just one of those people, you'll always love, no matter what they do," she said.

He nodded again, and even let out a husky chuckle. He thought of poor Quinn, and Rachel, and Puck, Kurt, Finn, and now Haley.

"You're going to be a great fit for New Directions, Haley."


	2. Chapter 2

*** dog days are over **  


* * *

Haley held as still as a statue outside the choir room door the nest afternoon. Her breathing was thick and even, and her arms were crossed calmly over her chest. She was the image of ease. Except for the fact that her mind was reeling a million miles an hour, and she quite physically had to control the urge for nervous tears to pour over her cheeks.

It was strange to think that this one glee club practice had been the motivator for all her choices since she woke up, and was admittedly her first priority.

She had thought longer about her outfit this morning than she had in years. After a thought process that was much more intense than anything she put into her homework, she finally decided on a slim fitting pair of dark jeans, her favourite (and one of the few overpriced pieces of clothing she owned), lose top from Urban Outfitters that had a scoped cut at the middle, so you could just see her toned stomach. Her goal was too look sophisticated and "put together", though not too formal for an average day at school. She was hoping to fool the club members that she had the money to buy expensive clothes, but didn't like flashing brand names around, for as long as she could .

Then, halfway through the morning, having decided she looked like she had tried much to hard for a Thursday, she frantically tried to even it out by changing her hair. The originally sleek, straight locks were traded for a lose but shiny messy bun, with a braided-material head band. She was praying the look was a, "effortlessly put together, though not trying too hard."

After her choice of clothes seemed somewhat acceptable, her poor brain was forced to doubt and stress over her introduction and entrance, along with English, Science, French and Art. Haley was quite positive she failed the science quiz she studied for because she was too occupied in worrying about how she should show up to the practice.

During lunch she quickly dashed into the library, hopefully unseen, and found a quiet and secluded corner. Pretending to be working on an extensive amount of homework, she formed her plan. Having brutally bantered back and forth with her mind, she decided she would show up first to the choir room, and attempt to act completely at ease. She would tell Mr. Schue that she simply wanted to be there early to get used to the routine. And then, in a perfect world, the others would casually walk in as she was light heartedly laughing and joking with Mr. Schuester.

In her perfect world ...

Her ever relentless thoughts were abruptly stopped when Mr. Schuester showed up to the door she was waiting at, and she was forced to begin the plan she so desperately dreaded.

"Oh, Haley. I'm very sorry about that, usually the others don't show up for a couple minutes. I wouldn't have made you wait, had I known," he told her apologetically as he unlocked the doors.

Shit, he was surprised. He probably thought she was a weird keener, over achiever now.

Haley frantically tried to cover up her unnessacary earliness, "No, no it's fine. I only came so early so I could get used to the routine. I wasn't really sure how it worked, so thought I'd get her a bit before." She somehow managed a full, carefree smile.

Mr. Schuester seemed pleased with her mood, and he smiled back joyfully. The door swung open, and he held his arms out, in a gesture for her to go in first.

"That's a good choice. Well, here we are. Welcome, welcome. Usually, the kids just come and sit wherever, but today, you can just hide over outside the other door, so once everyone's seated, you can make a big entrance!"

Not even the excitement and satisfaction in his face could hide her immediate panic.

Obviously, sensing the change in her mood, his eyes quickly became worried and his face dropped. He shook his head in question, and she responded with a brief, but terrified shake of her head.

Haley was nervous this would upset him, but thankfully, he just laughed. "Big entrances not your thing? No big deal, I very much understand," he told her with a chuckle and pat on her shoulder. The genuine sympathy and trust she found in his voice made her loosen up just the tiniest bit.

She smiled shyly as he instructed her to wait over by his desk. He turned around and began filding with files and papers, and she took her cue to sit on the chair off the the side.

Sitting down just gave her more time to think up awful situations, and her folded hands, placed neatly in her lap, just wouldn't stop shaking.

Eventually, she began to play little games with herself; once she had counted to fifty, the first person would show up. After seven more people crossed the door, the eight would be the first person to show up. Mr. Schuester would take out nine more sheets of people and the first member would walk through the door.

Unfortunately, no mind game could prepare her for the fear she felt when the first person _did_ actually walk through the open door.

And, in case God needed more proof that her life was a walking laugh, Noah Puckerman was that person.

Haley didn't believe her heart could pound any faster. She waited for the moment he would make eye contact with her, and he would glare or scorn or laugh. She resisted the urge to keep her eyes shut.

Instead she watched him carefully. His careless stride, and muscled arms lazily swinging to the side. But, he never did look at Haley. She found it hard to believe that he never _saw _her, but he never focused on her long enough to make her embarassed, or even long enough for her to notice.

After making this discover, she started to notice that Puck wasn't acting like the cocky and rebellious trouble maker she had heard about and seen in the halls. He kept his head down, and he sat at the very back row. He kept his hands locked in fists, and he didn't smile, nor frown, or smirk. He was an emotionless statue.

Mr. Schuester turned at the sound of the first student, and when he saw Puck, Haley noticed his face became concerned and confused. His eyes stayed on Puck for a long moment, before hesitantly turning back around.

That was when Haley noticed Puck's infamous mohawk was shaved completely off. He hair was a neat and tidy cropped cut. Haley's mouth dropped open, in a tiny "o". She couldn't believe it. This must explain his attitude.

Before she had the chance to delve into thought about the new Puck, Quinn Fabray silently walked through the door.

If she thought she couldn't be more nervous of Puck's presence, she was utterly wrong. Quinn scared her more than she could believe. Haley had heard more about this blond, ex-cheerleader, than she heard about any A-list celebrity. And if Haley had learned anything, she knew that despite her pregnancy, Quinn could ruin her already weak social status and reputation.

Quinn walked with her hands close to her sides, and she took shy steps. Definitely not the bold and attention seeking Captain she had heard about, but still she kept her chin held straight.

Haley respected Quinn for being so strong and courageous, but she would have much prefered if she had kept her eyes locked on the floor, like Puck. Rather, Quinn spotted Haley immediately, and did not look away from her the entire time. Whether you were pregnant or not, Quinn's age and former popularity, she held immense power over Haley Moyen.

Her very pretty eyes looked Haley over more than once, and when they locked eyes, Haley was forced to break eye contact first. Finally, seeming satisfied, Quinn looked away, towards Puck. They exchanged a look, and while Quinn smiled small, Puck broke into a genuine smile. Quinn sat two seats over from Puck, right as Artie, Tina, Mercedes, and Kurt strode through the door.

Finally chatting and discussion filled the room, and Haley had a fleeting wish they would be too busy too notice her. And, somehow they did.

Relief filled Haley. Until they sat down.

That would be when Mercedes openly pointed to Haley, and they all nearly snapped their necks, whipping their heads back to look at her. Even Puck perked up and took interest.

Haley spent those five humiliating seconds praying they would not say anything to her and thankfully, whether the prayers worked or not, Brittany, Santana, Mike Chang, and Matt Rutherford walked in at that moment. Presumably, this gathering of cheerleaders and football players all at once, would have been the most frightening, however she was so glad for the distraction from her, she didn't even mind.

She shouldn't have gotten her hopes up because just moments after the latest four sat down and began talking with the others, they had processed Haley sitting in the chair to the side. Haley decided to intently watch Mr. Schue, who appeared to be getting ready to start the lesson. She chanted in her head repeatedly, 'Come on Schue, Come on Schue..'

Santana, surprisingly, decided not to acknowledge Haley, which Haley didn't mind in the slightest. While the others whispered and took glances at Haley, Santana just sat with her legs crossed carefree and an unimpressed expression planted across her features.

Everyone else seemed to lose interest for the time, and they all turned back to their conversations. Haley took the moment of freedom to process everything, and prepare herself for the next part of the challenge. When she would actually have to merge with them.

She looked at them all individually. She was in a room with Quinn Fabray, Santana Lopez, and Mercedes Jones, three females she feared and secretly desired to impress, and they hadn't yet completely humiliated her. Around them were Noah Puckerman, Mike Chang, and Matt Rutherford, three males she had goggled at in the halls but avoided at all costs, and yet she had done okay so far.

Somehow, in this big group, along with people like Artie and Tina, who not even Haley knew, they seemed much less intimidating. It was like a private room where regular school and popularity literally was put aside. Maybe this wouldn't be so very bad. Maybe they would just act like she never existed. She could live with that, happily in fact.

Suddenly, Finn Hudson and Rachel Berry rushed through the door. They quickly shuffled to their seats, but Finn had a joking smile on his adorable face, and the usually uptight Rachel had a small smile on her face, despite her lateness.

Rachel sat beside Finn, and neatly brushed her outfit for wrinkles. "Sorry we're late Mr. Schue. You may begin now," she said calmly and formally.

Everyone except Finn seemed to glare slightly towards Rachel at the way she sounded so confident and important. Haley's heart leapt at the thought that maybe she would at least be more liked than Rachel.

Mr. Schue looked over at Rachel, and squinted his eyes slightly, seeming to have only noticed Rachel's absence. Mercedes rolled her eyes, and shot a knowing look at Kurt.

"Oh, right.." Mr. Schuester said awkwardly. Rachel seemed to be unaware of anything going on, and she focused on Mr. Schue.

Having regained his thoughts, Mr. Schuester walked to the centre of the floor and clapped his hands once. After a minute, the room became quiet and everyone's attention was on their leader.

"Alright everybody. After recent...uhm, events.. we're going to start fresh. Get a new focus, and a new attitude. We're in training mode guys. This is it. The final stretch until regional's."

At this, the club noticeably perked up and put aside the previous frustration at Rachel, and members like Quinn, Santana, and Puck looked somewhat motivated.

"We've got a lot to do, today, and the next few weeks. But before we get started, I have a rather big announcement," he said excitedly.

Oh, no. Haley knew this was the moment she had been dreading and planning out the past twenty four hours. Everyone else knew too as they all took glances in her directions.

"I have just recently recruited a new member for New Directions. I know this is a change, but I know you guys will be happy with this choice." His voice turned to a more forceful and strict tone, "I expect you to be welcoming and helpful, like I know you can be, because she's a bit younger than you all. Please welcome, our newest member, Haley Moyen."


	3. Chapter 3

**hey kids, **

**sorry for the suspenseful, 4 month, wait...  
I know you solid 5 readers were disappointed. but keep reading and maybe attempt a review and i might have more than 5 readers to disappoint!**

**your the best.  
**

* * *

Haley didn't know what kind of reaction she would get when Mr. Schue broke the news to the other members of the glee club, but she figured at bare minimum someone might even clap. She would have settled for a wave. Or even a smile.

But, unless you considered a jolly clap and smile from a dumbfounded Finn only to be silenced by a deathly glare from both Rachel and Kurt, an acceptable welcome, then Haley remained out of luck.

Not even Mr. Schuster seemed to be able to hide his worry at the lack of response. Clapping his hands together awkwardly, he turned to Haley and tried his best to mask his anxiety.

"Well, how about you show 'em what you can do, Haley?" He said with fake excitement. He turned slightly to his class with his hands open, as if trying to sell them a great deal. No one even flinched.

Haley couldn't help notice that Puck hadn't even looked up from his hands since zoning out when Mr. Schue welcomed Haley. Her heart sped up for a moment when she thought he was asleep, but then fell when she realized that that would be a better alternative. She didn't seem to be the only one who noticed Mercedes and Tina with their cell phones expertly hidden, probably texting one another, as Mr. Schuester looked nausea at this point.

Giving up the hope that he would get a response from them, he looked Haley directly in the eye, apparently trying to send her strength and tightly said, "Would you rather tell everyone else a bit about you first?"

"I'll sing first," Haley said, a strained whisper, still managing to crack half way through. She could feel the heat flooding her cheeks as she did so and she was unfortunate enough to lock eyes with Santana at that moment. The notorious cheerleading bitch kept eye contact with her until Haley pulled away, an amused expression playing on her features.

"Well, uhm, go for it then," Mr. Schuester said to Haley, a happy voice covering up his weary fear. Patting her on the back, he went to sit down at his desk.

Standing alone in front of the whole club, a million things passed through her mind. Whether she should say something, give the song title, skip a verse, clear her throat, smile at them. Her thoughts were so rushed she didn't have time to even think about them before her feet carried her to the piano and her long fingers began to play, the same song that Mr. Schuester had enjoyed so much the night before.

And then, she was lost in the music again. In the back of her mind, the worries tried breaking down her musical bubble but, as always, had no luck. Occasionally she tuned back into the moment and would dully hear her own soft voice echoing throughout the choir room. Particularly when her voice would rasp just enough or would be so strong that it was a clear bell, Haley would look up. She put much focus into only looking at Mr. Schuester and felt a weight of a thousand piano's fall from her shoulders when she saw he was smiling in a satisfied way. She couldn't resist the small smile that tugged at her lips as the tight ball of stress loosened the more she sang.

Mr. Schuester's stress melted like butter, his shoulders easing the further Haley got into her song. He kept a strong eye on the other students, hoping to anticipate their thoughts. However, despite their reaction, he smiled proudly at his newly found diamond in the rough.

Rachel's annoyed expression perked up when Haley began to sing. It quickly evolved into tight fear and shocking disbelief. Her eyes were wide with analyzation, her mouth a strict line of critique. Her thoughts were frantic and she fought hard to keep her heart from beating so fast. _Y__**ou're much better than her, Rachel, you're too smart not to know that**__, _she thought. Her worry eased just a fraction, trying to go through her accomplishments. But if Rachel Berry knew one thing about herself, it was that she did not spare the details of the truth and she soon gave in to the fearful thought that this young freshman was better than the brilliant Rachel Berry. _**She never took singing lessons, you can tell, it's so obvious in her rasp.. Rasp can be charismatic though, can't it? Norah Jones has a raspy blues sound..Glee is not about blues though. This is a show choir, **_she thought with strict finality._**You've seen every Broadway Musical. You've taken musical theatre classes since you were two, Rachel. You're better than her, I promise**__, _she assured herself.

Mr. Schue's stress resurfaced for just a moment as he confusingly noticed Santana examining her arms as Haley sang. Were they really this bored?

Santana looked frustratingly from Haley to herself, her brown eyes squinting in annoyance. She awkwardly strained to see her stomach. _**I'd say she has a four pack, nothing special. No, it's impossible, she can't be athletic, she's just one of those weird stickly bitches**__..._she thought, trying hard to mask her own envy from herself..._**Look at her damn arms, are they that much skinnier than mine?**_

Puck looked up finally as Haley started singing, an interested expression on his face. _**She must be at least fifteen, maybe fourteen. That's only...2, years younger than me. I could probably get her to fall for me, it'd be easy. It'd be too easy... But no Puck, you like a challenge. You da man who knocked up Quinn Fabray, your better than the easy prey. Your the king of the jungle.**_Witha quick look towards Quinn, then one more glance towards the freshman at the piano, Puck smiled smugly, content with his resolution to the moral debate in his mind.

_**I bet she's a size four.. Ugh, stop lying to yourself, she's probably a two. There's no denying it**_, Tina thought enviously, eyeing Haley with greedy suspicion. _**Oh my gosh, she's that girl on the billboard for Forever 21! She's a model, that would explain it. There 's no way people naturally have that clear of skin..**_

Unlike most of the other members sitting in the choir room watching Haley sing, who sat with critical and territorial expressions, Quinn laid back easily in her plastic chair, a thoughtful and somewhat apologetic expression across her perfect face. _**She's certainly pretty enough, to be considered hot, **_Quinn thought in a purely factual manner. _**Definitely got the body, not so much the boldness to get a name amongst the older guys, but with a little buzz some jerk will find her, no doubt. **_Her mouth became a regretful frown, but there was no denying the bit of satisfaction the thought gave her. _**She'll be pressured into sex soon enough. So young and naive, at least I was at the top when it happened...**_

_** Oh hell, the last thing we need in this already fashionably pathetic club is some H&M addicted freshman to add to the ranks of the Cheerios outfits and the Berry Fashion Bandit..**_Kurt thought, his eyes squinted, examining Haley's outfit with great scrutiny. He paused for a moment, cocking his head, looking at her with slight potential as another uplifting thought crossed his mind. _**If she could take Berry's spot though, I'm sure I could do something with her wardrobe. Actually, I think I saw that top at Urban Outfitter's... She's not a complete lost cause,**_ he thought with new optimism. But whether that was because he actually was looking at Haley or simply relishing the thought of rachel as backup, one would never know.

Mercedes Jones couldn't find anything wrong with the girl's face, or body, or age or even voice, but she remained unimpressed in her seat. Another white girl, with a tiny waist and pretty face. She had nothing against those girls, I mean, with the exception of Rachel, she generally liked them. _**This club has no flavour, **_she thought frustratingly. _**Just another white girl to bump R&B and soul to the back of the bus. The most spice we got is the asian **__**invasion, and that just makes us a group of white rice. **_

Artie sat with his hands folded solemnly in his lap and did not seem to notice his bottom lip puckering at the bottom like a whining child. He scorned hatefully looking at the lengthy, toned legs that bounced slightlyto the beat below the piano. _**5'8 at least. No way she's shorter than that. Tina is 5'6 and she's got to be at least a foot taller than her, **_Artie contemplated jealously. _**Everyone says God is all giving and loves equally. How can I believe that when my only talent is singing, meanwhile this random can sing just as good, and is tall and slim and beautiful? Life ain't fair.**_

Will Schuester looked towards his students again, recognizing the final notes of Haley's song. He was pleased at their expressions of mild interest and thought. They must be as star stricken as I was yesterday, he foolishly believed with a content smile as the ending piano notes drew to an end.


End file.
